Fatherly Enmity
by Moonlit Sunshine
Summary: AU. What if Lily survived that fateful night at Godric's Hollow? How would Snape do as stepfather to the boy he hates? A Harry and Snape centric, Sevitus (non biological father-son) story. Absolutely no slash. Fluff warning.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Severus Snape knew he could be dead within the hour, but that changed his course of action not one whit. He stumbled out of his meeting with the Dark Lord (oh, how the title made his stomach turn now), shot off a Patronus to Dumbledore asking for reinforcements, and then spun around on his heel. He apparated directly outside Godric's Hollow, took the steps at a run and blasted the door open with a savage slash of his wand. A red flash of light headed directly for his head. He neatly sidestepped it and shouted out his warning to the man he hated almost as much as the Dark Lord.

"Run for your life, Potter, the Dark Lord is on my heels!"

Brown eyes narrowed distrustfully behind the ugly glasses as Potter sized him up, but then good sense seemed to kick in and he turned to someone hidden in the shadows. "Lily, take Harry and go! I'll hold him off!"

Severus was momentarily distracted by the familiar red hair and beautiful face, but snapped back to reality at that idiotic comment. "Are you mad?" he began, but Potter strode forward and grabbed him by the upper arm.

"Get them out of here, Snape." The part of Severus' mind that was not already half-hysterical with panic noted that Dumbledore must have already told Potter about his switch of loyalties, the meddlesome old man. Potter frantically searched over Severus' shoulder for any sign of intruders, and then gave him a rough shove towards the stairs. " _Go_!" he shouted.

For some inexplicable reason, Severus paused at the foot of the stairs to look back at the man. Potter's grim gaze met his, briefly, and it occurred to Severus that this was not the boy he had known and hated for years. He ran up the stairs, to Lily and her son ( _Potter's_ son), wondering if this was what she had seen in Potter when she'd gone and _married_ him—

A crash sounded from downstairs, loud enough that the wall of the living room must have come down. "Severus," a white-faced Lily said as he brushed past her and silently Vanished the glass and bars on the ridiculously large window. She had the boy in her arms.

"Come," he said curtly, holding out his arm to her. He had no idea if he was strong enough to make this work, but it didn't matter—he had to try, and succeed. He quickly cast Lightening Charms on all three of them before grabbing hold of her, none too gently.

He should have known better than to hope she'd come quietly. "I can't leave James!" she growled. The colour returned to her face and her jaw set with a very familiar stubbornness.

"He is dead," Severus told her coldly, pushing her back. She couldn't fight him and hold the child at the same time, so he took the opportunity to hurl them both out of the window, simultaneously casting Disillusioning charms. It wouldn't be much good against the Dark Lord, but he was hoping for reinforcements before it came down to him versus the Dark Lord. Lily gasped in his hold as they dropped sharply and then rose into the night sky. The irony of fleeing the Dark Lord using his own special power was not lost on Severus as he propelled them as fast as he could, away from the place.

It was thanks to his sharp hearing that he heard the pops signalling the arrival of the Order. He heaved a sigh of relief, and then looked down at Lily. Her face was illuminated in the lights coming from the fierce battle raging below them, and the tears even more so. He unconsciously tightened his hold on her (and the boy), and was surprised when she buried her face in his shoulder. The child held between them looked curiously at his silently weeping mother, and then blinked up at him. Severus would have recoiled in shock if he could have. The boy had his mother's eyes.


	2. I Hate Weddings!

**Chapter 1: I hate weddings! **

**A/N: The subsequent chapters are in honour of my baby sister Camelot Knight's upcoming birthday! (Okay, okay! You're seventeen, so not a baby anymore.) I'm aiming to make it a four-shot, not counting the prologue.**

-o-

Harry Potter, aged twelve, wondered wearily if Snape ( _Professor Snape, Potter_ , a menacing voice corrected him in his head) had slipped him some horrid Imperius-like potion. How else could he have agreed to this?

His mother looked beautiful in the dreaded wedding gown, he thought. _Not that that really means anything._ He smiled sadly. _I always think she's beautiful no matter what she's wearing._ His gaze shifted to the groom, and his stomach coiled tighter than it had been all morning. Snape (Professor Snape? Severus? Anything-but-Dad?) didn't look like he was sucking on a lemon, for once. Though to be fair, he always seemed to mellow a little around Harry's mother. His hair was tied back, so the greasiness didn't show too much. Altogether, the effect was a lot different from the fearsome Potions Master he knew and hated from the first Potions class in Hogwarts.

He blinked twice and took a deep breath to clear his head before looking back at the scene before him. What would the Prophet describe this scene as, if they ever knew about this? (Which they wouldn't. It was, after all, a secret wedding. Only closest friends of the family—most of whom were standing here—knew about this.) ' _ **Lily Potter re-married: to an ex-Death Eater'?**_ or maybe _ **'James Potter's widow marries his greatest enemy'?**_

"Lily Potter, do you accept Severus Snape as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Harry's breath caught, and for one wild moment he dearly wished his mother would say no. He watched her carefully—was that a tear on her cheek? Right now, she didn't look particularly happy. _Good. Maybe she's remembering Dad,_ Harry thought uncharitably. And immediately felt a twinge of guilt and shame. He reminded himself of the reason he had smiled and agreed when his mother had asked for his opinion and permission— she deserved to be happy with the man she loved. (Though the l-word still made him feel like he needed a shower and a good scrub...) She'd been alone too long. And Snape did seem to make her happy.

Lily seemed to gather herself. "Yes," she said, smiling through her tears. The pause had been barely more than two seconds, but Harry thought Snape looked almost… stricken at the delay. Snape had said _yes_ immediately, even if he hadn't smiled like Lily. Harry looked away when they began to exchange rings. Ron, who was standing next to him, squeezed his elbow, and Harry smiled weakly at him in gratitude. What he'd do without Ron and Hermione he didn't know. Remus stepped up to hand them the rings. Snape tensed when Remus' arm brushed against his. Harry suppressed a laugh even through his irritation. Remus didn't deserve Snape's attitude just because of his prejudice against werewolves, and it set his teeth on esge to see him mistreated by Snape.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Harry had to exercise every ounce of self-control he had not to bury his head in his hands and groan out loud. It didn't matter that Snape's behaviour to him all this time had supposedly been because he was still spy for the Order; Harry _knew_ the man hated him because he'd hated James Potter! Dumbledore, who had been standing to Harry's left and smiling benignly at the couple, suddenly looked sharply at him. Harry held his gaze with some difficulty (hey, a man he hated was _kissing_ his mother in public, and people were actually cheering; he could be excused for looking away) so he wouldn't have to see what was happening before him. He had the uneasy feeling he wasn't fooling Dumbledore at all.

-o-

As it turned out, more than one person had seen through his performance. A worried Hermione had asked him to write her if he needed to talk, and left it at that, but he had a feeling this other man wouldn't be so easily satisfied.

It was the morning after the wedding. Lily had slept in (Harry really didn't want to think about why—his mother had always been an early riser), and Harry had just finished making himself breakfast when Snape stepped into the dining room.

"Good morning," Harry mumbled, looking down at his toast. He still hadn't gotten used to seeing Snape in anything other than school robes.

There was no reply, and Harry was beginning to hope he could finish his breakfast in silence when Snape spoke up. "Your acting skills are worse than I thought. Your mother will see through you in no time, at this rate."

And wasn't that the whole problem. Why hadn't she noticed yet? Usually, his mother would notice something wrong with Harry a mile away—and Harry was no great actor, much as he hated agreeing with Snape. Swallowing a bite of toast became ten times as hard when there was a lump in his throat, Harry noticed absently.

"Or," and now Snape's voice had gone very soft and very low, and Harry stiffened, sensing danger, "perhaps you wish her to notice. Perhaps you plan to turn her against me by playing the abandoned, disconsolate son. A little late for you to launch that plan, isn't it, Potter?"

Well, at least he was calling him that instead of 'Harry' like he did when Lily was around—Harry didn't think he'd ever get used to that, either. "I don't have any _plans_ ," Harry spat, and then stopped to breathe in and out slowly, releasing his death grip on the knife and fork. "I meant it when I said I want my mother to be happy, Snape," he continued more calmly. "And you do make her happy. So unless that changes any time soon… that's the end of that."

"Hmm," Snape said coolly. Harry couldn't tell if he was pleased by his sort-of endorsement of their relationship. "A heroic sacrifice, worthy of a Gryffindor—maybe even worthy of your father, eh, Potter?"

"Which one?" Harry snapped back, and snickered at the look on Snape's face. He clamped down on the white-hot flash of anger at the mention of the man who should, by all rights, have been sitting in that chair and sharing Lily's bedroom. _Don't lose it,_ he told himself. _Stay calm, and get under his skin if possible._

"I am _not_ your father." Snape's nose wrinkled in disgust.

Harry gave him a beaming, false smile, and then stood to take his dishes to the kitchen. He wasn't hungry anymore, he found. He started to tip the plate over the rubbish bin. A long-fingered hand caught his wrist and stopped the motion. "Stop hiding from me. You need to eat."

Harry stared at him in disbelief before shaking him off. "I thought you just said you weren't my father! I can skip meals whenever I want to— and I'm not hiding from you."

"Please," Snape said, his lip curling, "you've been running from each room I enter for a few days now."

Harry's denial stuck in his throat this time.

"I'll make a deal with you, Potter. In return for your…cooperation, during this whole affair, I give you my word I will not take advantage of my power as your legal stepfather."

Harry wondered what would happen if he flung his plate at Snape. "Is that how Slytherins think about family and relationships? Like…like _business deals_?"

Snape's nostrils flared. "Business deals are made for mutual _material_ gain. As a Slytherin, how _advantageous_ do you think it is for me to marry a Gryffindor, the former wife of James Potter, no less? I stand to gain nothing from marrying Lily!"

Harry shrugged. "There's Dad's money."

Snape went white with anger and took a step forward; Harry shifted, feeling trapped against the wall. The moment stretched out, and the two glared at each other. Then Snape's face blanked of emotion. He stepped back and turned to leave.

Something made Harry reach out and catch his arm. "I'm sorry…sir," he said with difficulty. "I didn't mean that. I know you care about my mother." _I'd have fought this tooth and nail if I weren't sure about that._

Snape didn't turn around, but he'd stopped moving. "She's awake," he murmured. "Do try not to call me 'sir' in front of her, won't you?" With that, he left to greet Lily. Harry mentally acquiesced to the truce as he watched Snape take her in his arms, as tenderly as if she were made of china. Lily smiled as his lips met hers. Then she turned to give Harry a hug and kiss his forehead. Harry blushed even more furiously than he had when she and Snape had been kissing, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her to stop coddling him. Not that she would stop if he did tell her.

"Morning, Mum," he said, feeling shy in front of the intruder in their living room. She smiled down at him, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks rosy. "Good morning, Harry."

And all was right with the world—for now.

-o-

Of course, that was exactly when it all had to go wrong.

They were sitting at breakfast together. Lily had insisted on Harry eating some after Snape had told her about the food in the bin ( _traitor_ ). To his surprise, Harry had found he was hingry sgain.

That was when the Patronus sailed into their dining room. "Severus: do not leave the safe house," it said in Dumbledore's voice. "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, and Harry is most probably his target. I am at the Ministry; I will see you soon."

There was silence for a long minute where Snape and Lily looked at each other. Snape had a frighteningly angry look on his face, and to Harry's surprise and discomfort, his mother looked the same.

"Mum?" he spoke up, wishing they would stop looking at each other. "Who's Sirius Black?"

Lily turned to him, the anger gone. Sometimes it was almost Snape-like, the way she switched emotions off and on like that. "Harry," she said grimly, "there's something you need t oknow."

"And about time, too," Snape muttered, surprising Harry again.

"Sev," Lily said tightly, "we've discussed this—"

"Several times over the last decade, yes. He needs to be warned, Lily. About _all of it_."

"And as I've said several times over the last decade, Severus," Lily said with forced calm, "I want his childhood to be as normal as it possibly can, Severus, considering how little he gets of _normality_!"

Harry couldn't believe he was actually agreeing with Snape rather than his mother. "Are you going to tell me now why I've lived in a safe-house all my life?" he said hopefully.

"No," Lily said. She seemed to be engaged in a silent battle with Snape.

"But—"

"We will be telling you about Sirius Black," she said, breaking away from looking at Snape, to Harry's relief. She looked at Harry, and gave him the sad, frightened smile he hated seeing.

"Well?" Harry said, when a minute had ticked past and no one had said a word. Their food lay in their plates, and for the second time that morning, Harry had no appetite. Snape sighed. "Severus," Harry said boldly, thinking to himself that he would never, ever, get used to calling Snape that, "why don't you tell me?"

Lily and Snape did their silent communication that Harry was starting to find very annoying, and then Snape spoke up. "Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were James Potter's best friends in school," Snape began.

By the time he was finished, Harry was wishing he hadn't eaten that bit of toast. "We'll catch him, right?"

"We will," Lily said grimly. "I have some ideas about how he might have escaped." From the glance Snape cast at Lily, it almost seemed to Harry like he was surprised, but it was always difficult to tell with Snape. "You need to be very careful in school this year, Harry. I'm afraid I can't sign your Hogsmeade slip for you."

"What?" Harry cried. "Why?"

Snape opened his mouth angrily, then shut it and looked away. Good, Harry thought. Keep up your pretence; I can't deal with you now. Lily hadn't noticed. "Because he's out to get you, Harry." The genuine fear in her unusually stern voice gave Harry pause.

"How do you know it's me he wants?" Harry said. "He could be after Snape, for all we know! From what you both told me, it's clear they weren't friends!"

"Your father—your second father—has a name, Harry," Lily said, then went on, "We have our ways of knowing this. You know that you and Neville are the only boys your age who grew up in hiding, don't you? You are particular targets for the other side."

"But _why_?" Harry asked, for the hundredth time. "Why do they want us both? Why don't you ever tell me that?"

"Because you don't yet need to know, Harry."

Harry found himself in the unique position of silently beseeching Snape for help. Snape only blinked back at him, with as much expression on his face as a reptile's. Harry looked back at his mother, who suddenly looked older and more tired to him.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she said. "I promise you will know soon. It can't be long now."

No, you'll just keep it secret until you can't possibly, Harry thought resentfully, but didn't speak. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with his mother in front of Snape, and then get scolded for it by both. He stood.

"You have not been excused," Snape said coldly.

"It's all right, Sev," Lily said softly. "Let him go." But she caught Harry's hand as he passed, making him stop. "Harry, my love," she said, looking at him with Harry's own eyes, "I know you're angry that there are things being kept form you in your own house, and I know you think you should know." She cast a sly glance at Snape. "Severus happens to agree with you." She laughed at Snape's disgruntled look, and Harry watched half in disgust and half in amazement as the sound of her laughter made the hard lines of Snape's face soften. Even his nose didn't look that crooked when he was looking at Lily.

Well. Everyone knew Lily had a magical laugh. It was just weird to see it working on his _Potions Master_ was all.

"Harry?" Lily said questioningly. "Are you all right?"

Harry realised he had been staring. _No, I'm not_ , he wanted to say. _And a killer from Azkaban is the least of my problems, Mum. Snape_ likes _your laugh!_ But he'd promised himself he wouldn't ruin Lily's happiness, so… "I'm fine," he mumbled. Then he noticed Snape's thunderous frown, hidden from Lily's view. _What have I done wrong now?_

"Go pack, Harry." Lily smiled at him, and if she'd noticed how listless he'd sounded, she didn't show it. "You'll be leaving for Hogwarts in a few hours."

-o-

"Well, he's gone," Severus said, as the fire in the Floo died out. He turned to Lily, who still looked a bit sad after telling her son goodbye and sending him through to Hogwarts.

"Don't sound so relieved, Severus," Lily said, one corner of her mouth lifting. "You'll see him again soon."

She was so beautiful, he thought. He leaned towards her to kiss her. She jerked away. His hurt must have shown on his face despite his best efforts, for she sighed. "I'm sorry, Sev," she said, and to Severus's horror, there were tears in her eyes. "I know I'm being horribly unfair to you—"

"My love, believe me, I am intimately familiar with the prospect of unfairness in life; it has ceased troubling me." Blast, he was reverting to his usual stiffly formal way of speaking, but he hated to hear her apologise. For not being able to kiss him, no less.

"I know it's unfair to you," Lily repeated firmly, though one tear had slipped down her cheek. Severus wished he could kiss it away; he loathed that drop of saline water with all his soul. "But like I told you—"

— _the morning after our wedding night, when I was on top of the world and thought you must be too…only your heart still lies with James Potter, doesn't it, Lily? Why else would you have been crying that morning? Why else would you have told me that—_

"—I need more time. I don't know why I'm being like this; I truly thought I was over this, but…" Her hands, which she had been absentmindedly and mercilessly wringing the life out of, fell to her sides. She stood there, looking at Severus, her large green eyes full of helplessness as if waiting for pardon from a judge. Severus was struck again by how utterly beautiful she was.

He closed his eyes and mastered himself before opening them. Even Occlumency was of limited help when his bride of a two days was standing a few feet away and all he wanted was to take her in his arms, bury his face in her glorious red hair and not let her go till the world ended. "I'll wait, Lily," he said at last. _What other choice do I have?_ He turned to the secure Floo that the boy had gone through before. He turned back once more to look at his sad, lovely wife, and spoke the words as sincerely as he could before the fire whisked him away, "Take your time, my love."

-o-

Snape looked mighty displeased about something when he stepped through the Floo into the Headmaster's office. "My office, now," he said as he flicked a wand at Harry's things. They disappeared at once. Harry hoped they were in Gryffindor Tower, not banished.

"Huh?" Harry said, trying to ignore the dread clutching at his stomach. "But we've only just arrived; isn't it dangerous to let people see us together?"

"Professor Snape dragging off an unhappy Harry Potter to his office for some punishment or other?" Snape mocked. "Is that unusual in your book, Potter?"

Harry sighed, and followed him. Snape shut the door behind him and began casting privacy charms. WheN he was done, he turned to Harry.

"Do you recall our deal, Potter?" he inquired silkily.

Harry was surprised. "Of course I do. Pretend I'm happy, and you won't torment me."

"Respect, Potter," Snape snapped. His eyes narrowed to slits. "You are not holding up your end of the bargain."

"What? Of course I am! What did I do?"

"You weren't being Slytherin enough," said Snape. "Lily is no fool; she already senses your brooding!"

"I'm trying, okay?" Harry cried. "I've just never lied to my mother before!"

"Well, you'd better learn fast," Snape sneered, "because I'm tiring of your teenage drama. If you fail, you will find out just how unpleasant I can make your life with my authority as your stepfather. And no, the secrecy of the marriage will not work in your favour. Dumbledore is most eager to have us interact and bond, and he can be very creative. I will not be beaten in this, Potter."

Harry stared at him in shock. "Do you hear yourself?" he whispered. "You really hated my father, didn't you? And you think I'm him! If you hate me so much, how could you agree to be part of our family?"

"The benefits outweighed the troubles, Potter."

"Really? Because you don't seem very happy to me."

Snape snarled, and suddenly he was looming over Harry, glaring in a way that was almost disturbing. "I warn you, Potter, ruin my marriage and Lily Potter herself won't be able to save you from me." The moment drew out, and onyx eyes bored into Harry's own.

"I've always meant to ask," Harry said, pretending not to be bothered. "If you hate me so much, why did you play with me back when I was five and my mother wanted nothing to do with you? Was it to get her attention?"

Suddenly, Snape straightened, his face tightening even more. "Go to your Tower, Potter."

-o-

Harry remembered.

He remembered the stern-faced man who had been associated, in his five year old mind, with secret hugs and smiles and safety. The memories felt so ridiculous now he had almost started to doubt them. Severus Snape used to approach him as though Harry were a wild animal, and then pet him as though he were a domesticated, _furry_ animal. Harry had liked the careful but determined gentleness with which the man had handled him—so very different from Lily's open affection and Remus' hesitant touches, but still very nice.

He still had one photograph somewhere of himself sitting on top of a sleeping Snape, smiling goofily at the camera.

This man had up and disappeared one fine morning, and then stormed into Harry's life in Harry's first year at Hogwarts, black robes swirling, spitting venom at every student in class. But especially at Harry, always more at Harry. Harry had been stunned into speechlessness that first Potions class. Oh, his mother had told him about Snape's role as spy, and that he would have to be hostile to Harry and Neville in particular, and Gryffindors in general. But it hadn't really sunk in until then. To Harry, Severus Snape had been his childhood friend, his protector and oversized, slightly scary teddy bear. It had taken him several hours to get over the shock. Hermione hadn't been his friend then, so he hadn't been able to turn to her for help either. Ron had done more harm than good, despite his good intentions.

In the end, Harry had locked away Sev, his childhood companion, in the deepest confines of his mind, keeping him strictly separate from Professor Snape of Hogwarts. The two were separate, and the former had either been a spy acting, or was as good as dead.

That had been two years ago. Even then, he'd known his mother was renewing her friendship with Snape, but hadn't really given it much thought. _Or was that re-renewing it? What exactly did go wrong the first time, and then the second time, I'd like to know_ , Harry thought darkly.

Speaking of Neville…

"Oof!"

"Oh! Sorry, Harry!" said the red-faced boy who had tripped and bumped into him. He seemed to be having trouble with his bag; he was bent over as if he was carrying two loaded trunks rather than a book-bag.

"Oi, Longbottom!" called Draco Malfoy. "Even hiding behind Potter won't help you with what we've put in your bag, you know. Did I mention it bites?"

Neville dropped his bag with a yelp. Books and parchment spilled out, along with… one heavy Bludger. The Slytherins burst out laughing. Ron and Hermione rushed at them, but for once, Harry didn't. He bent down to help Neville, staring at his dorm-mate all the while.

 _Why have the two of us been singled out all our lives? Why do we live in safe-houses while everyone else has just ordinary houses to live in? Why does Mum_ never _tell me things, like the fact that I had a godfather who's th eeason my REAL father's dead, and an ex-Death Eater's taken his place?_

"Thanks, Harry," said Neville. The blush hadn't faded from his face. Suddenly, Harry wondered what Neville would say if he knew Snape was Harry's stepfather now.

The door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom opened, and Remus stood there, smiling at the students gathered outside. Harry shook out of his morbid thoughts and smiled back, feeling slightly warmer at how Remus' eyes lingered over him as if to check if he was alright. It did get a little annoying sometimes—he cast a sidelong glance at Hermione, who was doing the same to him, and sighed. He knew they were all just concerned, and with good reason, actually. Not that he could tell them that, with Snape breathing down his neck.

"Come in," Remus said to everyone, gesturing welcomingly.

At last, something to look forward to. Now if he could just stop Snape from glaring at his best man (an impossibility, considering he had a ready excuse in his spying), he could be a _little_ content.


	3. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Chapter 2: One Step Forward, Three Steps Back**

 **A/N: Happy birthday, my dear lil girl!**

 **-o-o-**

Severus took a deep breath to make sure he'd be heard over the babble in the darkened Hall full of panicked students. "POTTER!" he thundered, and nearly all the faces in the Hall turned as one to look at him, and then at Potter. There was a split second of silence, and then the noise started again as students returned to their conversations.

Well. _Sirius Black_ had just broken into Hogwarts, after all. Severus Snape ripping into Harry Potter was no great news next to that.

The boy and his friends were doing an admirable impression of prey caught in the predator's sights. The boy sputtered a protest when Severus grabbed his arm and began to drag him away.

"He's done nothing wrong!" Granger said tearfully, and Severus nearly rolled his eyes. Potter and his friends had been warned to act unfriendly and suspicious of Severus, to maintain Severus's role as spy. Granger was taking things to an extreme, though.

Surprisingly, Potter was the best actor of them all. Severus looked down at the sulky and slightly fearful-looking teen dragging his feet beside him. Or perhaps it was not so surprising. He knew the Hat had considered Slytherin for the boy, well over two years ago now. To this day, Severus wondered if Potter had turned down the offer because he, Severus, had betrayed the child in the early years after James Potter's death.

Severus pushed that thought away. He knew he was a traitor twice over already; once to Lily when he'd told the Dark Lord about the Prophecy, and second to the Dark Lord himself—though the latter did not weigh on his conscience. Still, he didn't like thinking of himself as a traitor to the son of James Potter as well.

"Why did you bring me down here?" The boy said once they were in the privacy of Severus's quarters.

Severus looked down his nose at him as if to say, _how stupid are you?_ "I don't know if it's escaped your notice, Potter, but a madman broke into the school today, and ripped apart several things quite close to your bed _with a knife_." As usual, the boy's scowl grew darker at his tone. "You are not safe out in the open; you will stay here in your room."

Potter looked like he was going to argue, but then stopped himself, to Severus's relief. He left for his room without another word, which made Severus slightly suspicious. "Potter," he called, and waited for the boy to turn around. "This is not a time for keeping secrets from those who are trying to protect you. Those secrets may very well cost you your life. Do you understand?"

The boy's lips were pursed, but he nodded. Severus resisted the urge to Legilimise the boy on the spot. For some reason, he found himself hesitant to violate this particular child's privacy. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to figure out why. Did he want the boy to trust him of his own accord? _If so, I'm losing my touch. And sentiment will quite literally be the death of me, no matter what Dumbledore has to say on the matter. A spy in the Dark Lord's ranks cannot afford to be_ sentimental _._ He shook himself and sent the boy off to bed again.

He sat awake, dreading a summons by the Dark Lord this night. He did not want to kneel before the Dark Lord after just having practically put Harry Potter to bed. Surely one thing could go right tonight?

The boy began whimpering in his sleep just then. Severus sighed. _Of course not,_ he answered his silent question. Lily had told him the boy was plagued with nightmares, especially after the Dementors had swarmed their way into Hogwarts, but he had never expected that he'd have to do something about it.

Severus sat himself down in a chair by the boy's bed, and put his hand out hesitantly. At the last moment, he changed his mind and brought his hand down to rest on the pillow by the boy[s face. Potter moved, and just touched his forehead with the Severus's hand. Severus sat very still, but the boy neither woke nor moved away. Instead, he kept nudging Severus's hand with his forehead.

It was a small thing, this unconscious plea for help, but it reminded Severus of the little boy of years past who used to come to him at night (and in the morning, and very other time of day), begging to be held and to play. The boy had instantly taken Severus into his heart, unlike his grieving mother. Severus moved to get up. The boy made a distressed noise.

"Hush," he told the child, "I'm not leaving." He straightened, getting the odd feeling that he had just made a vow. He moved to the other side of the bed, dazed with his new shift in perspectives, and settled into bed beside the boy. The boy instantly curled into him, sensing his presence even in his stupor. Severus warily put his arms around him, aware how out of practise he was with this sort of thing—if he had ever been 'in practise'. The boy woke up a little at this and looked around, muzzily taking in this newest development.

Severus gripped him firmly the moment he saw awareness enter Potter's eyes. He leaned over the boy and put his mouth to his ear. "If you're planning on jumping out of bed now," he hissed, " _don't_. Your mother is watching, or she will be soon. I want her to see this."

Potter went rigid against him. He blinked several times—far too rapidly—and looked as if Severus had punched him in the stomach. Severus shifted uncomfortably. Why was Potter _looking_ at him like that, as if he expected something more? Hadn't he said and done enough already?

"Okay," the boy said. His jaw was clenched, and his fists had followed suit.

Severus narrowed his eyes at him, starting to get an idea about why the boy was suddenly angry. But Potter wouldn't look at him again. Instead, he took a deep breath, seized a fistful of Severus's shirt, and buried his face in Severus's chest, pulling himself closer. Severus frowned. This was what he'd wanted the boy to do—to pretend he was happy with Severus—but it was a little unnerving to be embraced by someone who made it clear it was an odious chore.

Ignoring his conscience with the ease of long practise (it was now accusing him of hypocrisy), he put his arms around the boy and tucked him under his own chin.

It felt less uncomfortable than he'd thought.

He fell asleep faster than he had in a very long time. Later, he thought he'd dreamt of an angel standing over his head, smiling and crying at the same time. "Thank you, Severus," she'd said quietly, before disappearing in a whirl of her silver Cloak.

-o-

Lily knocked on the wooden door and carefully pulled her hand back inside the Invisibility Cloak. The door opened and Remus's tired face looked out. Lily stood very still, noting that her friend was still fully dressed, just as she had thought.

Remus sighed. "Lily," he said, and she grinned at the faint notes of amusement and exasperation in his voice, "you really don't think that's going to fool me?"

Lily grinned and pulled off the Cloak. "It took you nearly a minute to figure it out, Remy," she said. "Getting slow in your old age?"

"Actually, I was trying to decide if it was Harry or you." Remus smiled back, but then grew serious as Lily invited herself inside. "Lily, what are you doing here? It isn't safe!"

"Careful, you're quoting Severus," Lily said, looking about the room and noting the additions. "I knew you wouldn't be in bed yet, and I needed to talk."

"How did you know I wouldn't be in bed? I usually am, by this time."

Dear Remy, Lily thought. So innocently curious until the world stamped it out of you. "Too many ghosts," she said. "And not the transparent kind."

Remus smiled— a tired, sad smile that made him look older instead of younger—and then looked at her carefully. "You look…"

"—less like a widow?" Lily quipped.

"More like a bride," Remus said, smiling properly now. "More than you did at the wedding." He waved her to a chair, but she couldn't sit down with all the blood pumping through her veins.

"You're the one who talked me into marrying him, you know. Dumbledore helped, too, but I'd never have gone thorugh with it if it weren't for you."

"I take it you're not here to scold me for that, then?"

 _Dear, dear Remy. Always thinking of others, living for their happiness._ Lily finally let herself smile, feeling like the world was just beginning. "Oh, Remus," she said, "I came to thank you."

Remus blushed, but as was typical of him, didn't acknowledge that. "Does this have anything to do with Harry getting dragged down to the dungeons by an irate Severus?" he said shrewdly.

She laughed, enjoying how it felt. "Yep." She leaned forward conspirationally. "Severus is discovering the joys of fatherhood. He's fast asleep."

Remus looked interested. They both knew nothing could get Snape into bed before midnight.

"—In Harry's bed. He's practically cuddling his stepson."

Remus's eyes widened and he let out a rare, delighted laugh. "How in Merlin's name did Harry manage that?"

Lily sobered at the thought of the Dementors roaming the school grounds and feeding off innocent children's happiness. "He had a nightmare."

Remus lost his smile, too. "No wonder."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"So," Lily said softly. "Ghosts. You're up very late, Remy. Is it very difficult, being back at Hogwarts?"

"You tell me." Remus sighed. "Walking these corridors, seeing the laughing children, seeing Harry…" His voice got quitter and quieter. Lily silently willed her reserved friend to open up. "I keep looking over my shoulder, thinking I'll see…"

"James," Lily said for him when he couldn't finish. It didn't hurt to say his name, for the first time in ages. "Peter. _Sirius_."

Remus shut his eyes, looking like he regretted speaking up. In that regard, he and Sev were very much alike, Lily thought. "I really don't understand why it's taking them so long to find him, now that they know he's in his Animagus form," Remus said.

Lily had worried over the same thing, too. "The shift between human emotions and muted animal instincts must be difficult for those… _creatures_ to track."

Remus picked up on her disgust of the Dementors. "Do you sometimes wonder if…if any man truly deserves to be in the hands of those monsters, Lily?" he asked.

"Even someone who did what Sirius did?" Lily sighed. "I do, Remy. And I also kept wondering if there was any way we were mistaken… The way there was no trial…"

"…If there's something we're missing," Remus finished, looking so haunted Lily knew he had tormented himself with those very thoughts, maybe far more than herself. This was going nowhere fast, she thought, and she hadn't come here to relive the dark past. She leaned forward, took her friend's hands and squeezed.

Remus dredged up a smile from the depths of his brave soul. "If Severus knew you were here," he said, managing to look mischievous even now.

"There's be a duel, at the very least," Lily snorted, picturing her husband rushing through the doors in a jealous, suspicious rage. "I think Tonks might be the same, actually."

Remus looked startled, and then blushed. "Lily," he chided.

"No," she retorted. "Take your own advice, would you, _Professor_? She's wonderful, and I don't think she's giving up any time soon. Stop making her miserable, Remy. There—I've quoted you, nearly word for word." She grinned at the stunned look on her friend's face, and added slyly as she got up to leave after this bombshell, "Sweet dreams, Remus!"

-o-

Severus glared at the parchment before him as though that could make it burst into flames.

 _Harry James Potter_ , said the name on top, followed by scrawling writing describing the properties and uses of asphodel. The work was surprisingly good, which did nothing to improve Severus' mood. Just the boy's name was enough to get him brooding these days—the thought of the ghost from the past intruding on his marriage with Lily. Add to that his remaining bad mood from the boy's behaviour this morning.

"How long do you think you can keep up this…this charade?" the boy had mocked. His anger form the previous night had carried over, apparently. "How is it you don't get tired of lying, anyhow? Lying to your former Master, to your former coworkers, to your Slytherins, to the whole school…and now your wife." He'd spat out the word as if it were dirty. Severus had lost it then, and had shamelessly threatened the child with dire consequences if he didn't mind his behaviour. He didn't remember all that he'd shouted, but he did remember it had included the threat of corporal punishment, and Potter's face had very nicely drained of colour at that.

"Severus," a clear, lovely voice rang out from behind him, "if our son starts to hate Potions because you need to maintain your cover as spy, I will _not_ be pleased."

Severus started so badly he knocked over a pot of ink. He righted it and spelled the ink back into the pot before turning his glare on the red-haired angel in his room. " _What_ do you think you're _doing_?" he demanded. "The whole point of living in a secure location is that we do _not_ travel to and fro from there unless absolutely necessary! Your movements in the Floo could be tracked; you could be followed back to the safe-house!"

Lily only flitted about, blithely ignoring his tirade, inspecting the room and expertly straightening things here and there as she passed. "I _assure_ you," she said, her eyes laughing at him as she imitated his formal way of speech, "my business was _absolutely necessary_ , darling."

Severus' heart stuttered and came to a stop for a second. Lily had only called him that only their wedding day, and that only once. "What, P—Harry's performance in Potions?" he drawled, playing along. He silently cursed at his slip, but he'd been distracted— it had been a while since he'd seen Lily so happy.

"Mm, still calling him Potter," Lily said, mock-sternly, one finger over her top lip. Severus cursed again. Of course she'd noticed. "Well, that _is_ his name, but we must cure you of that. No father calls his son by his last name."

"Lily, I really don't think we'll ever be able to regard each other as father and son—"

"But, to return to the question of Potions," Lily said, her eyes twinkling so much he wondered if she'd been taking lessons from Dumbledore, "wouldn't you agree that Golden Boy Harry Potter's performance is low enough that it can be called below average?"

"How did you—"

"Oh, I know everything that goes on in your classroom, Professor Snape," she said, a bit loftily. "I don't have to be a Legilimens, and _definitely_ don't have to coax things out of Harry—he's remarkably protective of your…uh, shall we say, spying eccentricities."

 _Translation: "Harry hasn't told me you're still acting like a git to him, but I know."_ The glint in her eye was making Severus nervous, not that he would ever show it. He fingered his wand in his holster, an unconscious defensive gesture, before realising what he was doing and stopping the motion.

"So, I say Remedial Potions is in order, Severus. You can make sure he doesn't fall behind in Potions, and weren't you saying something about Occlumency earlier? Or maybe that was Dumbledore…"

 _Dumbledore. Of course it was Dumbledore._ Severus shut his eyes in horror. _That's all I need; Harry Potter on my back for several hours a week with no one to distract me from my murderous impulses!_ Disappointment was clawing at his chest too, and while it was a sensation he was also quite familiar with, it still made him snappy. Suddenly, he was tired of their game. "You needn't have come all this way just to tell me Harry needs Remedial Potions to disguise _father-son bonding time_ ," he said, and then winced. That had come out colder and harsher than he'd intended.

Lily stopped, looking as if someone had punched her in the stomach. "No," she said quietly, and it struck Severus for the hundredth time how much she had grown since their school days. A younger Lily would have snapped back at him, ten times fiercer.

Or maybe grief had brought the change. Severus abandoned that thought without looking at it too closely.

"No, that's not why I came," she said, fixing her brilliant green eyes on him.

His heart began thudding faster, and he cursed himself for hoping again.

"I came to say I'm ready, Severus."

Severus' throat had gone dry; he had to clear it twice before speaking. "W-what?"

Lily was smiling again, a small, brave thing that hurt to see. "For a Slytherin you really don't appreciate subtlety, Sev."

"Yes, so you've said." _About a thousand times over the course of twenty-one years._

"Fine, I'll be Gryffindor then." She walked up to him and put her arms around his neck, then frowned in (mostly) mock concern. "Sev? You look like you're about to faint from the shock."

Severus scowled at her, but from her amused expression, probably only succeeded in looking sulky.

"I know I promised to put the past behind me just as you did," Lily said, serious again. "And I'm sorry I've been keeping you at arm's length, Sev… I'm sorry I broke my promise."

 _You wouldn't be nearly so apologetic if you knew what I was doing with my promise._ Severus thought, with a pang of regret, of a pair of green eyes peeking from behind a fringe of messy hair and hideous spectacles. He made sure it didn't show on his face, though. He was not a spy for nothing. Also, her proximity was doing funny things with his heartbeat. Her fingers were on the nape of his neck, and Severus shivered at the touch.

He lowered his forehead to touch hers, feeling mildly grateful he had grown taller than her in the last years of school. It had been mortifying when Lily had been taller than him—silly of him, perhaps, but true nonetheless. "Couldn't you have gotten straight to the point instead of rambling on about your brat's classroom troubles?"

" _Our_ brat, Sev," she corrected patiently, but he knew from the warning light in her eyes that he had to tread carefully. "Where would be the fun in that?" She smiled when he put his arms around her, and moved further into his embrace.

"Lily," Severus said weakly.

"Severus," she said, pulling back slightly to look him directly in the eyes, "I love you."

Severus heartbeat doubled, and one word rang through his mind as he gently pulled her close.

 _Mine._

At last.

 **-o-o-**

 **A/N:**

 **Well? What do you think?**

 **Thanks to everyone who's read, followed, favourited, and especially reviewed. You people make my day:)**


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